A Test of Faith
by walkeabb000
Summary: The Knights are back! This time, it's Fuu's turn to overcome her inner demons and find out her true feelings for the one she loves.
1. Chapter 1

A Test of Faith

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth nor it's characters. This is a work of fanfiction. The original characters and story belong to CLAMP.

Fuu sighed as she watched various people from the observation deck at Tokyo Tower. She checked her watch and let out another sigh. Her two best friends were late. Today was the anniversary from when they went to the magical land of Cephiro. She desperately wanted to see Ferio again. A slight blush spread across her cheeks as she thought of the handsome swordsman/prince of Cephiro. "Fuu-Chan!" The sound of her name brought her back to reality and she turned to see Umi Ryosaki and Hikaru Shidou running towards her. They were both breathing hard when they reached her. "We are so sorry that we're late!" Hikaru cried as she gave Fuu a big hug. "We missed the bus to get here and then Hikaru forgot her money so we had to go back to her house, making us miss the next bus!" Umi said in a rush. "It's okay, I'm patient." Fuu laughed as Umi was still struggling to catch her breath. "Are you ready to go?" Hikaru asked excitedly. Fuu and Umi nodded and the three girls joined hands. Fuu closed her eyes and wished with all her heart to go back to Cephiro. A blinding light flashed and Fuu had the sudden feeling of falling. She opened her eyes and let out a gasp. They were back! "Why do we always have to arrive this way?" Umi yelled. Fuu agreed as the three quickly plummeted to the land below. A giant flying fish went under them and Fuu landed on her butt with an "oof!" "Look! It's Clef's fishy!" Hikaru cried as she started petting the creature's head. "He never fails, does he?" Fuu said as she looked over at Umi who was slightly blushing at the mention of Clef's name. Fuu happily watched the passing scenery as they headed towards the giant crystal castle. As they neared, she could make out the distant figures of their friends. She searched in vain for the one with the shaggy, green hair and her heart started beating furiously as she caught sight of him. She heard Hikaru scream, "Lantis!" and watched in amazement as the little red head leaped off the creature's back and into the dark sword master's arms. Fuu and Umi waited until they were safely on the ground before stepping off. Fuu locked eyes with Ferio and her stomach flipped when he smiled at her. "Fuu, I've missed you" he said as he gently pulled her into his arms. She hugged him back and whispered, "I missed you more." A deep rumbling in his chest told her he was laughing. "We shall see about that!" he chuckled and escorted her inside.

The interior looked pretty much the same since the last time they were there. A tall, pink-haired women burst through the throne room's doors and attacked Hikaru in a big hug. "Caldina!" It's good to see you!" Umi said as Caldina moved on to her. "Better now that you little missies are here!" she said after hugging Fuu. They all were ushered into the throne room to greet Lafarga, Ascot, Sierra and Clef. Umi happily ran towards Clef and hugged him fiercely. Fuu and Hikaru giggled as the Master Mage turned red. "Welcome back Magic Knights" Clef said after Umi released him. "It's good to be back" Hikaru exclaimed with excitement. "Has anything happened since we have been gone?" Fuu asked, hoping nothing too serious. The room grew silent as she heard the throne room's doors open again. Strong arms hugged her from behind before she got to turn around. "To answer your question lovely, I'm here for a visit!"


	2. Chapter 2

A Test of Faith

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth. This is a work of fan fiction. All original characters and story belong to CLAMP.

Author's note: Hey everyone, so here is the second chapter. I'm pretty new at this, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to make it better. Thanks!

"To answer your question lovely, I'm here for a visit!" said a soft male voice behind her. Fuu turned around in the stranger's arms and met deep amber eyes. He had dark, bushy green hair that was cut short and a gold earring glinted in one of his ears. He smiled at her, showing perfect white teeth. Fuu looked at Ferio in confusion. He was glaring at the stranger still holding her captive. "Fuu, this is my distant cousin, Forrest" Ferio said with annoyance. Fuu shifted her eyes between the two and realized that they could pass as twins. The only differences were that Forrest's hair was darker than Ferio's and Ferio's eyes were of a lighter amber. "Wow Ferio! You were right about this one. She is indeed very beautiful! "Forrest exclaimed. Fuu blushed slightly and looked down to the ground. "You better watch it Ferio, I might be tempted to steal her away from you" Forrest said as he squeezed her tighter. Ferio seemed to growl as Fuu blushed an even deeper shade of red. _Oh dear!_ Fuu thought as Ferio continued to glower at his cousin. _What am I going to do?_

Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru were busily chatting as they walked to their room. Umi and Hikaru were giggling over how hard it had been to extract Fuu from Forrest's grip. Fuu, however, was in deep thought. _Ferio never told me he had relations other than Emeraude. _She huffed at his loss of vital information. "Aw, come on Fuu. We were only joking" Umi said, bringing Fuu out of her reverie. "I know. It's just…Why didn't Ferio tell me about his cousin?" she burst. Hikaru thought for a moment then replied, "He probably didn't know about him like he didn't know about his sister." "Yea!" Umi exclaimed. "His memories were wiped clean. Forrest probably came to tell Ferio who he was." Fuu seemed to relax. "Don't worry Fuu. Ferio would never purposely keep something from you" Hikaru said as she hugged Fuu. "Yea, he wouldn't dream of hurting your feelings" Umi stated matter-of-factly. "Thanks guys. You two always make me feel better. I think I will go head towards the library." The girls nodded and gave Fuu one last hug before going their separate ways.

Fuu breathed in the smell of ancient leather and knowledge. She had discovered the library the last time and had been desperately wanting to explore it more. As she moved through the shelves, gliding her hand along the worn spines of the volumes, her thoughts drifted back to Forrest. _Who is he? Why did he show up now?_ Confused, she hastily turned the corner and bumped into, "Ferio!" she exclaimed after he steadied her from falling. "I thought I might find you here" he said, smirking. Fuu started to frown, remembering why she had escaped to the library in the first place. Ferio seemed to notice her silence and his eyes grew worried. "Is something the matter?" he asked. Fuu shook her head, curls gently hitting her cheeks. "There is something Fuu. What is it? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, trying to look into her eyes. He lifted her chin so that her gaze would meet his. "Fuu?" She couldn't look away from those amber eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about Forrest?" she asked, searching his eyes. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair in a distracting way. "I never thought the two of you would ever meet each other. He lives in the old village Clef took me to after I left the palace. His mother was the only family I had left except for Emeraude. We grew up like brothers until I set off to the Forest of Silence. I haven't seen him since then until he came to the palace. His mother, my aunt, had fallen terribly ill and he wanted to ask Clef's help to heal her. I instantly recognized him and asked him to stay for a while." Fuu looked at him as the worry in his eyes remained. "Is your Aunt going to be okay?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't know. Forrest described her condition and it didn't sound good." Fuu could see sadness wash over him and she threw herself into his arms. Her eyes started to water as she thought about him losing another member of his small family. Ferio hugged her closer and stroked her soft hair. "Shh. Please don't cry for me" he whispered in her hair. "I can't help it Ferio. I love you so much and I can't stand to see you go through more pain!" she sobbed. "I love you too Fuu and it hurts me most to see you cry" he said, wiping away one of her tears. She sniffed and calmed down a little bit. "I'm sorry" she said. "Smile for me Fuu and the world gets ten times brighter" he said. She gave him a small smile. "That's not good enough!" he exclaimed as he started tickling her. She giggled and laughed and showed him a real smile. "Now that's better" he said. Returning hers with one of his own. "Let's get out of here and get some rest" he said, taking her hand and leading her to her room. "Goodnight my princess" he whispered before leaning down and giving her a soft, sweet kiss. Fuu sighed happily as she watched him walk away to his own room. Her lips were still tingling as she joined her fellow knights in sleep.

In her dream, Fuu was walking down a rough path. She walked aimlessly until she reached a fork in the road. She wondered which way to go as she studied both paths. One was new and exciting, full of adventure and mystery. The other was safe and comforting, full of love and kindness. She became hopelessly confused. "Soon dear Wind Knight, you will have to choose only one" said a deep, familiar voice inside her head. "Soon."


	3. Chapter 3

A Test of Faith

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth. This is a work of fan fiction. All original characters and story belong to CLAMP.

Author's note: Thanks to those who have read this so far. Please let me know how I'm doing. Thanks Again!

Fuu awoke with the sun's rays gleaming in her eyes. She quickly got dressed and quietly left the room to let the other two continue to sleep. She tiptoed out to one of the gardens and sat beside the fountain with a sigh. Her dream had been very confusing and she had no idea what that voice had meant by choosing a path. She was too deep in thought to notice footsteps enter the garden. A sudden voice made her jump. "Sorry to bother you, but may I sit down?" asked Forrest. Fuu nodded and slightly blushed as he sat right next to her. "It's a beautiful morning" she said, looking at the rising sun. "Now it is" Forrest replied. Confused, she turned to look at him and found him staring intently at her. She blushed some more and quickly focused her attention elsewhere. He chuckled at her embarrassment. "You are so cute Fuu. My cousin is very lucky to have you. He doesn't know what a delightful treasure you are." Fuu hid her flaming cheeks behind her curls making him chuckle again. They both fell back into silence while watching the world around them awaken in the morning light. "Ferio told me about why you're here. I do hope your mother will be cured" she said. Forrest looked at her again, feeling something stir in her chest. "Thank you. I do too. Besides Ferio, she is the only family I have left." Fuu looked at him with compassion. He was so much like Ferio, except more outgoing and fun. "I suggest we get some breakfast. I'm so hungry; I would even eat Caldina's cooking!" Fuu laughed as she pictured many of the dancer's failed attempts at cooking. Forrest stood up and offered his arm. "May I have the most honorable pleasure of escorting your loveliness to breakfast?" Fuu giggled and placed her arm through his. "Yes you may dear sir." He escorted her inside all the while indulging her with embarrassing stories of Ferio's childhood.

After breakfast, Clef called an important meeting in the Throne Room. "There are some various problems arising around the kingdom. I would like to ask the Magic Knights for some guidance" he said, looking at the girls. "Sign us up Clef!" Hikaru exclaimed while the other two nodded in agreement. "Very well. Hikaru," he motioned to the fire knight, "You, Lantis, Caldina, and Lafarga will go to the northern village. They are having small, unexplained wildfires and we need to stop them. Umi, Ascot, Seirra and I will go to the port cities. They have been having trouble with a mysterious lack of fish. I will then meet Fuu, Ferio, and Forrest at Forrest's village to see what I can do about his mother." They all, at once, set off to do their tasks assigned to them. The girls said their farewells and promised each other to keep safe.

A stable hand walked out with horses for the companions and soon they were trotting towards the mountains in the south. They kept a steady pace until night began to fall. "Let's stop here for tonight and get some rest" Ferio said, stopping by a large tree. He helped Fuu off her horse, making her blush when he held her in his arms for a little bit too long. She quickly offered to get the firewood, afraid of being left alone with either one of the green-haired men. She stumbled alone in the dark, picking up pieces of wood as she walked. She stifled a scream after a spider-like insect got tangled in her hair. Fuu really did hate camping. Times like these, she missed Mokona and the shelter the small creature had provided the Knights the first time. She shivered as she helplessly watched creepy crawlers all around her. Fuu quickened her pace back to the campsite where a small fire had already been started. Ferio and Forrest were busy talking in hushed tones, but halted once she came back in view. "I got the wood" she said timidly as she could suddenly feel something inching its way up her back. She stiffened and bit her lip, trying not to move a muscle. Both men looked at her worriedly as she remained standing. "Um…I think there is something on my back" she whispered, barely audible. Ferio immediately came to her side. He looked behind her and suddenly started to laugh. "What? What's so funny?" she asked, panic rising in her voice. "Don't worry Fuu, it's just a Flutterby" he said and gently took the creature off her back. "See?" He showed her the delicate insect that looked a lot like a butterfly except for having two pairs of wings instead of one. She relaxed as she watched the harmless creature fly back into the night. "It must have liked your scent. You do smell like honey" Ferio said, taking the wood from her arms. Fuu blushed deeply, knowing how close he had just been to her. After Ferio added more wood to the fire, he opened up the saddlebags for cheese and bread. "Eat up. We need a lot of energy for tomorrow." Fuu started daintily eating before she felt intense gazes on her. She stopped and noticed both men watching her. She awkwardly smiled and quickly finished her meal. _Why were they just staring at her?_ "I think I'll get some sleep now" she said as she crawled into her blanket. She was surprised when sleep came over her quickly.

She was at the fork in the road again in her dream. She was sure of the left path, which was safe and caring. She hated to take risks, but as she started towards the left path, the right one started to become grey and sad. Fuu stopped and looked back at the other path. She didn't want it to be hurt or forgotten. Again, she ended up standing there confused. "The time to choose is fast approaching" said the voice again. "Patience, Wind Knight, Patience."

Fuu awoke with a frustrated growl. _What in the world were those dreams about?_ She looked around her and saw that it was still night. Ferio was snoring softly next to her and Forrest was sitting by the fire. He was staring into its fiery core with a small frown. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked, making him jump and look around surprised. "It's just me" Fuu said as she moved to sit next to him. He relaxed and stared at the fire again. "I'm just worried about my mother" he said. Fuu nodded sympathetically. She knew his pain of worrying over someone very dear to their heart. She had the same feeling towards the other Knights whenever they were in deep trouble. "She will get better, don't give up hope!" she said. He slightly smiled at her. "I won't" Fuu returned his smile and pushed him playfully. "Go get some sleep. I'll stand watch." Forrest started to protest, but a glare from Fuu made him shut up. She watched him reluctantly trudge to his blanket. He was quickly snoring on his own, a louder pitch than Ferio's. She giggled at yet another family resemblance. Her emerald eyes turned to the fire and were soon caught by the sparkling embers. She was so transfixed that she didn't notice the dark shadow loom behind her. An odd scent wafted around her and her eyes grew heavy. She suddenly felt lightheaded and fell into darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

A Test of Faith

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth. This is a work of fan fiction. All original characters and story belong to CLAMP.

Author's note: Hey everyone, so here is the second chapter. I'm pretty new at this, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to make it better. Thanks!

"To answer your question lovely, I'm here for a visit!" said a soft male voice behind her. Fuu turned around in the stranger's arms and met deep amber eyes. He had dark, bushy green hair that was cut short and a gold earring glinted in one of his ears. He smiled at her, showing perfect white teeth. Fuu looked at Ferio in confusion. He was glaring at the stranger still holding her captive. "Fuu, this is my distant cousin, Forrest" Ferio said with annoyance. Fuu shifted her eyes between the two and realized that they could pass as twins. The only differences were that Forrest's hair was darker than Ferio's and Ferio's eyes were of a lighter amber. "Wow Ferio! You were right about this one. She is indeed very beautiful! "Forrest exclaimed. Fuu blushed slightly and looked down to the ground. "You better watch it Ferio, I might be tempted to steal her away from you" Forrest said as he squeezed her tighter. Ferio seemed to growl as Fuu blushed an even deeper shade of red. _Oh dear!_ Fuu thought as Ferio continued to glower at his cousin. _What am I going to do?_

Fuu, Umi, and Hikaru were busily chatting as they walked to their room. Umi and Hikaru were giggling over how hard it had been to extract Fuu from Forrest's grip. Fuu, however, was in deep thought. _Ferio never told me he had relations other than Emeraude. _She huffed at his loss of vital information. "Aw, come on Fuu. We were only joking" Umi said, bringing Fuu out of her reverie. "I know. It's just…Why didn't Ferio tell me about his cousin?" she burst. Hikaru thought for a moment then replied, "He probably didn't know about him like he didn't know about his sister." "Yea!" Umi exclaimed. "His memories were wiped clean. Forrest probably came to tell Ferio who he was." Fuu seemed to relax. "Don't worry Fuu. Ferio would never purposely keep something from you" Hikaru said as she hugged Fuu. "Yea, he wouldn't dream of hurting your feelings" Umi stated matter-of-factly. "Thanks guys. You two always make me feel better. I think I will go head towards the library." The girls nodded and gave Fuu one last hug before going their separate ways.

Fuu breathed in the smell of ancient leather and knowledge. She had discovered the library the last time and had been desperately wanting to explore it more. As she moved through the shelves, gliding her hand along the worn spines of the volumes, her thoughts drifted back to Forrest. _Who is he? Why did he show up now?_ Confused, she hastily turned the corner and bumped into, "Ferio!" she exclaimed after he steadied her from falling. "I thought I might find you here" he said, smirking. Fuu started to frown, remembering why she had escaped to the library in the first place. Ferio seemed to notice her silence and his eyes grew worried. "Is something the matter?" he asked. Fuu shook her head, curls gently hitting her cheeks. "There is something Fuu. What is it? Did I do something wrong?" he asked, trying to look into her eyes. He lifted her chin so that her gaze would meet his. "Fuu?" She couldn't look away from those amber eyes. "Why didn't you tell me about Forrest?" she asked, searching his eyes. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair in a distracting way. "I never thought the two of you would ever meet each other. He lives in the old village Clef took me to after I left the palace. His mother was the only family I had left except for Emeraude. We grew up like brothers until I set off to the Forest of Silence. I haven't seen him since then until he came to the palace. His mother, my aunt, had fallen terribly ill and he wanted to ask Clef's help to heal her. I instantly recognized him and asked him to stay for a while." Fuu looked at him as the worry in his eyes remained. "Is your Aunt going to be okay?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't know. Forrest described her condition and it didn't sound good." Fuu could see sadness wash over him and she threw herself into his arms. Her eyes started to water as she thought about him losing another member of his small family. Ferio hugged her closer and stroked her soft hair. "Shh. Please don't cry for me" he whispered in her hair. "I can't help it Ferio. I love you so much and I can't stand to see you go through more pain!" she sobbed. "I love you too Fuu and it hurts me most to see you cry" he said, wiping away one of her tears. She sniffed and calmed down a little bit. "I'm sorry" she said. "Smile for me Fuu and the world gets ten times brighter" he said. She gave him a small smile. "That's not good enough!" he exclaimed as he started tickling her. She giggled and laughed and showed him a real smile. "Now that's better" he said. Returning hers with one of his own. "Let's get out of here and get some rest" he said, taking her hand and leading her to her room. "Goodnight my princess" he whispered before leaning down and giving her a soft, sweet kiss. Fuu sighed happily as she watched him walk away to his own room. Her lips were still tingling as she joined her fellow knights in sleep.

In her dream, Fuu was walking down a rough path. She walked aimlessly until she reached a fork in the road. She wondered which way to go as she studied both paths. One was new and exciting, full of adventure and mystery. The other was safe and comforting, full of love and kindness. She became hopelessly confused. "Soon dear Wind Knight, you will have to choose only one" said a deep, familiar voice inside her head. "Soon."


	5. Chapter 5

A Test of Faith

Disclaimer: I do not own Magic Knight Rayearth. This is a work of fan fiction. All original characters and story belong to CLAMP.

Author's note: Sorry it took a while, had finals to deal with. Thanks to all who have read this so far. Again, please let me know your opinions. I always am looking for ways to improve my writing.

The next morning, Gia woke Fuu up before the sun had risen. She was fed a small breakfast and quickly ushered out the door with her instructions. Fuu walked soundlessly through the forest, careful not to trip and fall. She was extremely tired, but knew she could sleep later. Fuu got into place and patiently waited for the first task to begin.

Ferio's POV

Ferio awoke to the sound of Aunt Gia clambering loudly in the kitchen. Groaning, he turned over in is bed and stuffed a pillow over his head. "Rise and shine boys! It's a beautiful day" Aunt Gia sang in her off-key voice. Ferio buried deeper in his covers. He had been having a pleasant dream about Fuu, and he didn't want to be interrupted. "Get up you lazy bums; I've got breakfast on the stove." Ferio's stomach grumbled, forcing him to slink out of bed. He noticed Forrest still snoring quite loudly in the bed next to him. _That guy can sleep through anything!_ Ferio ripped back the covers and pushed Forrest off his bed. "Hey! What was that for?" Forrest accused. "Looks like somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning" Ferio replied with a smirk. Forrest growled and lunged at Ferio, tackling him to the ground. The two started wrestling each other until Aunt Gia yelled for them to stop horsing around. Ferio smiled at Forrest. He had missed this, acting like brothers and causing mischief. He even missed Aunt Gia's scolding. What he missed most though, was Fuu. His heart yearned for her and he closed his eyes, thinking of her bright, emerald eyes. "We better get to the table before mom has our heads" Forrest said, bringing Ferio back to reality. "Race you to the kitchen?" Forrest asked. Ferio laughed, "You're on!"

After breakfast, Ferio got dressed and failed miserably to tame his wild hair. Giving up, he joined Aunt Gia and Forrest in the living room. "I thought up a plan last night to help us locate your missing companion" Aunt Gia said, silencing the room. "We will split up and search the forest. This way, we can cover more ground in less time. If she isn't there, then we can look elsewhere." "Isn't that dangerous though? Even in broad daylight, the Balkon Forest is filled with all sorts of monsters" Forrest said, worry written on his young face. Ferio agreed. This forest was a mere second the Forest of Silence. "You two have your swords and wit. I have my magic and knowledge. We will be fine" Aunt Gia replied. Forrest started to protest more, but the old women held up her hand. "I can take good care of myself!" she huffed, reading the question in her son's eyes. Ferio chuckled to himself. Aunt Gia was still the stubbornness person he knew. "Fine, but we meet back here for lunch" Forrest insisted. They all agreed and each of them set out to a different part of the looming forest.

Ferio felt like he was searching in vain in the deep underbrush. He was starting to lose hope until a load roar filled the trees. Ferio bolted towards the sound, sword in hand. He broke out into a wide clearing where a huge monster had appeared. The monster caught sight of Ferio and lunged to attack. Ferio dodged it easily by jumping onto the nearest branch. By now, a group of villagers had gathered at the scene upon hearing the monster's cry. They were all cheering for Ferio, giving him strength to fight harder. He fought endlessly, and was finally able to pin it to the ground. Just as Ferio was raising his sword to issue the final blow, Forrest appeared out of nowhere and sliced the monster in half. The villagers exploded in cheers and applause and ran to rush Forrest. They lifted him high in the air and started walking away, their praises echoing through the forest. Ferio stood there dumbfounded. He had fought tirelessly against the monster only to get his credit stolen from him. "You deserve the glory, not him. He did nothing, but got everything. You did everything, but got nothing" a voice mocked him. Ferio suddenly saw Fuu jump out of the crowd into Forrest's arms. She was hugging him and praising him. _This isn't fair!_ Before he could knock some sense into his cousin, Ferio suddenly realized that Fuu was alive! Happiness spread throughout him, making him forget his pride. The people, Forrest, and the dead monster all disappeared, leaving Fuu standing there alone. "Well done Ferio, you've completed the first task! There are six left, good luck!" she said, smiling cheerfully. "Wait, tasks?" he asked, confused. Fuu simply nodded and disappeared in the wind. Ferio stood alone in the clearing. _What was she talking about?_ Shaking his head, he walked back into the forest to find his love once again.

Forrest's POV

Forrest was still wondering about what Fuu had said about having six more tasks. He was trudging through the marshy swamps hidden in the forest. He was desperately trying to find her again. He was slowly realizing his growing feelings for her and he was determined to find out if she felt the same. He suddenly came across a huge table filled with food. His stomach growled as he gazed at the array of delicious dishes. He started walking towards the table, while intoxicating smells wafted over to him. However, a small, nagging feeling made him stop. Everyone had agreed to meet for lunch and he knew it wouldn't be fair if he had a huge feast while the others only would have a bowl of soup. Plus, Fuu was probably starving. Sighing, he looked hungrily at the table one last time before turning to walk away. "Forrest." He stopped and turned back around to find Fuu standing where the table had once been. "Congrats, you have completed the second task. Five more to go!" she said, smiling sweetly. "Fuu? What's going on? Please come back with me!" he pleaded. She simply shook her head and vanished. Forrest was starting to get worried. _Why wouldn't she come back with me?_


End file.
